Undergraduate Users And Non Usersrv

To Use or Not to Use: Undergraduates and the OSU Library Ruth Vondracek & Laurie Bridges To Use or Not to Use: Undergraduates and the OSU Library

Research Questions
What alternatives do students choose for typical library activities? Why do they prefer those alternatives?
Is there a correlation between academic college, academic year and Valley Library or virtual library use?

Why Conduct This Research?
Rampant Curiosity
Few studies focus on alternatives to library use
Specific services, e.g. online use
Specific subpopulations, e.g. Generation Y
Use of physical space
Perceptions of libraries (OCLC’s study)
Most assumptions based on anecdotal evidence or preconceptions

Research Project Design
Winter-Spring 2006
Four-question screening survey to identify target population
Focus groups for users and non-users
Follow-up qualitative/quantitative survey of non-users and infrequent users (30 questions)
Research incentives

Screening Survey Respondents
Undergraduate student body (n=14,443)
A random sample of approximately 22 percent (n=3,227)
OSU Corvallis Campus
949 respondents (29%)

Screening Survey Demographics

Demographics

Significant Findings
Is there a correlation between academic college and virtual library use?

When comparing College of Engineering students with students in all of the colleges, Engineering students were significantly less likely to use virtual library resources.
Ag. Science Business Engineering Ed. Forestry HHS Liberal Arts Science Other Engineering 95 % confidence interval with bonferoni correction

When comparing Engineering students to Liberal Arts students the Engineering students were significantly less likely to use virtual library resources.
Agricultural Sciences Business Education Engineering Forestry HHS Liberal Arts Science Other Agricultural Sciences Business Education Engineering Forestry HHS Liberal Arts Science Other 95 % confidence interval with bonferoni correction

Is there a correlation between academic college and Valley Library Use?

When comparing Ag. Sciences students to students in Liberal Arts, Sciences, and HHS, the Ag. Sciences students were significantly less likely to visit the Valley Library.
Agricultural Sciences Business Education Engineering Forestry HHS Liberal Arts Science Other Agricultural Sciences Business Education Engineering Forestry HHS Liberal Arts Science Other 95 % confidence interval with bonferoni correction

Is there a correlation between academic year and Valley Library use? Between academic year and virtual library use?
None Found
Pearson's chi-square test without Yates' continuity correction

Conclusions
Pre-Screening Survey compared with other research
Insights about Ag. Science and Engineering

Target Population
275 infrequent and non-users
8.5% of survey population (n=3227)
29% respondents (n=949)
Surveyed 95 or 10% of total respondents (n=949)
40 percent (38 students) total respondents

Demographics: Non-Users & Infrequent Users

Focus Groups
Low turn out (5 total students)
Discussion with some directed questioning
Discussion yielded valuable information

Categories: Frequency of Use 16% 4% Non-Users Do not visit 37% 25% Infrequent Users Several Times/year 33% 30% Moderate Users Several times/month 12% 34% Frequent Users Several times/week 1% 7% High Frequency Users Once or more/day Online Resources % use Valley Library % use Group Name Frequency

Concept Clustering

Concept Categorization
Books/
Supplies
No hours
Unsafe to
walk at night
Friends
Room
availability
Private
Able to take
study breaks
Music
Don't distract
others
Computer
No
distractions
Close
Able to
spread out
Help Available
Food
Quiet
Convenience
Comfort
Other Resources Available Quiet Convenience Comfort

Where Students Choose to Study % of Responses

Why Students Choose Locations

Where Students Conduct Research

Type of Research

What is Used to Conduct Online Research?

Reasons for Use

Seeking Research Help

Why Students Don’t Use the Valley Library

Conclusions
Higher than expected rate of non-use or infrequent use (29%)
Our busy library negatively affects library use for some people
Study rooms highly used; more designated semi-private spaces needed.
Comfort, convenience and quiet are leading environmental factors students value.
Need to publicize virtual library and other services more

Undergraduate Users and Non-Users Ruth Vondracek & Laurie Bridges Oregon State University Libraries Questions?

Undergraduate Users And Non Usersrv

by Laurie Bridges

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

1 Embed 1

Statistics

Undergraduate Users And Non Usersrv Presentation Transcript